Golden Knights activate Parker Wotherspoon off injured reserve

The Surrey, British Columbia native’s return is a welcome sight for the Golden Knights, as they remain without defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and Noah Hanifin due to injury.

Wotherspoon, 29, has missed Vegas’ last 13 games after suffering an upper-body injury during a 2-1 overtime win against the Los Angeles Kings on October 10.

In six games played this season, Wotherspoon has gone scoreless while averaging just over 18 minutes of ice time.

The Golden Knights acquired Wotherspoon this past offseason from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Kaedan Korczak, with Pittsburgh retaining half of his $1 million cap hit for this season.

Last season with the Penguins, Wotherspoon notched three goals and 27 assists for a career-best 30 points in 80 games, before contributing no goals and an assist during Pittsburgh’s first-round playoff loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in six games.

Selected by the New York Islanders in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Wotherspoon didn’t make his NHL debut until the 2022-23 season, when he registered no goals and an assist in 12 games for the Islanders.

Following that season, he signed as a free agent with the Boston Bruins, where he combined for a goal and 14 assists for 15 points in 96 NHL games over two years.

He then signed a two-year, $2 million contract with the Penguins ahead of the 2025-26 season.

With 26 points through 19 games, Vegas sits three points back of the Edmonton Oilers for second in the Pacific Division.

Following Wednesday’s game against Utah, the Golden Knights will host the Nashville Predators on Friday.